1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to recreational vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to an awning assembly for a recreational vehicle wherein the awning assembly includes a detachable rug that is adapted to be stored within a housing of the awning assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recreational vehicles ("RVs") are large vehicles that are equipped with many of the facilities of a home, such as a bedroom, a kitchen, and a family room. Travelers often take recreational vehicles on long trips and use the vehicles as lodging rather than staying in a hotel. Prior to leaving on a long trip, the traveler typically packs the vehicle to capacity with a sufficient amount of supplies, such as luggage and food, to last the entire trip. Consequently, the traveler must carefully plan which items will be taken on the trip, as storage space is limited.
During the trip, the recreational vehicle is typically parked in an RV park, where the recreational vehicle provides the traveler with a place to eat, sleep, and to generally relax. Travelers spend much of their time simply lounging and relaxing around the recreational vehicle and enjoying their vacation. While lounging as such, the traveler often extends an awning from the side of the vehicle to provide protection from the sun. During travel, the awning is adapted to be stored in a rollbar that is mounted to the side wall of the recreational vehicle. When the RV is parked, the traveler pulls the awning out of the rollbar so that the awning is stretched and suspended outward from the side of the vehicle. Typically, a pair of cantilevered arms extend outward from the side of the vehicle and are attached to the awning to keep the awning suspended. Oftentimes, the traveler will also attach a series of screens to the edges of the awnings. The screens hang downward toward the ground and thereby define a screened room beneath the awning that serves as a patio area which is more secure from dust and insects.
While the awning provides protection from the sun and the screens generally provide protection from wind and debris, the ground surface under the awning may be unpaved and dirty. Thus, it is often desirable to cover the ground beneath the awning with a rug or a carpet to cover any dust or debris and provide a generally clean and sanitary lounging area for the traveler. Without such a rug, dirt can be tracked into the RV which can be very difficult to clean up when on vacation. Unfortunately, there are a number of drawbacks associated with these rugs.
One such drawback relates to the large size of the rugs, which must be large enough to cover the area of the ground under the awning adjacent the door. Consequently, the rugs are bulky and cumbersome and thus use up a great deal of the limited storage space within the recreational vehicle when the rug is not being used. Hence, in order to bring along a rug on the trip, the traveler often has to leave behind other supplies that might otherwise be taken on the trip.
Moreover, these large rugs are also difficult to carry and maneuver, which makes it especially difficult to pack the rugs and to clean the rugs after use. Because the rugs are often laid over a dirty ground surface, the bottom surface of the rug tends to collect dirt and other debris during use which can be carried into the RV during storage of the rug. One way of cleaning the rugs after use is to hang the rug and strike the rug till the debris falls to the ground. However, after the rug is cleaned, the traveler often drags the rug to the storage area which dirties the rug again. Hence, the rug is often stored in a dirty state, which increases the work of the traveler in keeping the RV clean during the trip.
There is therefore a need for a recreational vehicle rug that may be used in combination with an awning to provide a clean ground surface for the traveler to lounge and relax. Preferably, the rug should not take up much storage space within the recreational vehicle and should also be stored in a location where it does not use up storage space in the recreational vehicle nor require the rug to be carried into the recreational vehicle along with dirt and debris adhering to the rug. Furthermore, the rug should be large enough to cover a sufficient amount of ground surface yet still be easy to clean after use.